Turning Point USA

With midterms weeks away, potential 2028 contenders Andy Beshear and Donald Trump Jr. campaigned separately in Iowa college towns, underscoring the state's enduring role as a testing ground for presidential hopefuls even though Democrats have stripped it of its early-primary status. Beshear, stumping in Ames for gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, urged Democrats to drop "advocacy speak" in favor of plain talk, arguing that governor's races this cycle will determine whether Iowa is competitive for Democrats in 2028. Trump Jr., appearing at a packed Turning Point USA event in Iowa City, warned against a Democratic "dystopian communist hellhole," though some attendees said the tone clashed with the spirit of the late Charlie Kirk.

Both men remain long-shot contenders in early 2028 polling — Beshear trails in the Democratic field, while Trump Jr. lags behind Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio among Republicans. Vance also recently visited Iowa to support GOP candidates, signaling the invisible primary is already underway.

Logos School, a Christian school in Moscow, Idaho, founded by Doug Wilson, has approved naming a new track and field stadium after Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder killed last year at Utah Valley University. The stadium is part of a new 30-acre campus and will include an eight-lane track, 2,500 seats, an alumni fieldhouse and locker rooms, with Kirk's name featured above the western entrance. School leaders said Kirk exemplified the values of gratitude, excellence and sacrifice they hope to instill in students.

Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist, appeared onstage with Kirk months before his death and has publicly mourned him since. The move adds to a broader pattern of tributes to Kirk nationwide, following an earlier failed push to rename an Idaho highway after him. Wilson and his affiliated network, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have drawn scrutiny for controversial views on race, gender roles and religion, making the memorial another flashpoint in ongoing debates over his influence.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has designated Sept. 10 as "Charlie Kirk Day," marking one year since the conservative activist was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. Cox's official declaration says the day honors Kirk's legacy of civil discourse while rejecting political violence. Utah Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis, Rep. Mike Kennedy, and Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs offered tributes praising Kirk's advocacy for free speech, and the White House called him "a fearless patriot" whose influence "changed the course of American history."

Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded in 2012 and now led by his widow Erika Kirk, held a memorial event, "Freedom Built to Last: Honoring Charlie Kirk," at UVU's UCCU Center Thursday evening, featuring commentators Michael Knowles and Glenn Beck. A separate memorial formed outside TPUSA's Phoenix headquarters, and President Trump honored Kirk at the RNC's midterm convention in Dallas.

Tyler Robinson, accused of shooting Kirk, faces trial on seven charges including aggravated murder, which carries potential death penalty eligibility under Utah law. A judge has ruled he will stand trial on all counts; Robinson has pleaded not guilty.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox appeared with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at a Philadelphia forum on the First Amendment and political violence, reiterating calls for civility nearly a year after the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah. Cox, who won bipartisan praise for his response to the shooting, has been promoting a new book on peacemaking that he says was inspired by the killing. He credited Shapiro with encouraging him to speak candidly in the aftermath and said he remains hopeful the public is turning away from political vitriol, even as threats against lawmakers have risen sharply.

The discussion touched on the 2025 firebombing of Shapiro's home, the 2024 attempt on Donald Trump's life, and rising antisemitism, with both governors blaming inflammatory rhetoric from political leaders and online figures. The forum came a week after a judge cleared the way for the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing Kirk, to proceed, and as Republicans held a midterm convention honoring Kirk with an empty seat. Cox again denied any 2028 presidential ambitions, while Shapiro is viewed as a potential contender.

President Trump's move to boost foreign beef imports, including a temporary suspension of tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings through around Thanksgiving, aimed at lowering consumer prices, is drawing sharp criticism from Florida's cattle industry and Republican officials ahead of the 2026 midterms. Rep. Kat Cammack, the only Florida Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, warned the policy risks disengaging ranchers and farmers even if it doesn't push them to vote Democrat.

Prices at Florida's Okeechobee Livestock Market have reportedly dropped roughly $500 per head, about a 30 percent decline, hitting during September, the peak season for bringing calves to market. Industry leaders, including the Florida Cattlemen's Association and the Florida Association of Livestock Markets, say the timing has disrupted long-term planning. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also raised concerns about food safety, citing reduced FDA inspections of foreign facilities. The episode highlights tension between affordability goals and protecting domestic agriculture, with potential political fallout for Republicans in cattle-producing states.